name of Lot, and the nature of his sin, and how the Lord had mercy upon him.

3dly. In this record thou hast also fairly written the names of Moses, Aaron, Gideon, Samson, David, Solomon, Peter, Paul, with the nature of their sins, and how God had mercy upon them; and all to encourage thee, coming sinner.

Fourthly, I will add yet another encouragement for the man that is coming to Jesus Christ. Art thou coming? Art thou coming indeed? Why,

1. This thy coming is by virtue of God's call. Thou art called. Calling goes before coming: coming is not of works, but of Him that calleth. He went up into a mountain and called to him whom he would, and they came to him.

2. Art thou coming? This is also by the virtue of illumination: God has made thee see, and therefore thou art coming. So long as thou wast darkness, thou lovedst darkness and couldst not abide to come, because thy deeds were evil, but being now illuminated and made to see what and where thou art, and also what and where thy Saviour is, now thou art coming to Jesus Christ; "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee," saith Christ, "but my Father which is in heaven."

3. Art thou coming? This is because God has inclined thine heart to come. God hath called thee, illuminated thee, and inclined thy heart to come, and therefore thou comest to Jesus Christ. It is God that worketh in thee to will and to come to Jesus Christ. Coming sinner, bless God for that he hath given thee a will to come to Jesus Christ. It is a sign that thou belongest to Jesus Christ, because God has made thee willing to come to him. Bless God for slaying the enemy of thy mind; had he not done it thou wouldst as yet have hated thine own salvation.

4. Art thou coming to Jesus Christ? It is God that giveth thee power: power to pursue thy will in matters of thy salvation is the gift

of God. "It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do." Not that God worketh will to come where he gives no power, but that thou shouldst take notice that power is an additional mercy. The Church saw that will and power were two things when she cried, Draw me, and we will run after thee," and so did David too when he said, "I will run the ways of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart." Will to come and power to pursue thy will is double mercy, coming sinner.

5. All thy strange, passionate, sudden rush. ings forward after Jesus Christ, (coming sin ners know what I mean,) they also are thy helps from God. Perhaps thou feelest, at some times more than at others, strong stirrings up of heart to fly to Jesus Christ; now thou hast at this time a sweet and stiff gale of the Spirit of God, filling thy sails with the fresh gales of his good Spirit, and thou ridest at those times as upon the wings of the wind, being carried out beyond thyself, beyond the most of thy prayers, and also above all thy fears and temptations.

6. Coming sinner, hast thou not now and then a kiss of the sweet lips of Jesus Christ?I mean some blessed word dropping like a honeycomb upon thy soul to revive thee when thou art in the midst of thy dumps.

7. Does not Jesus Christ sometimes give thee a glimpse of himself, though perhaps thou seest him not so long a time as while one may tell twenty?

8. Hast thou not sometimes as it were the very warmth of his wings overshadowing the face of thy soul, that gives thee as it were a gload upon thy spirit, as the bright beams of the sun do upon thy body when it suddenly breaks out of a cloud, though presently all is gone away?

Well, all these things are the good hand of thy God upon thee, and they are upon thee to constrain, to provoke, and to make thee willing and able to come, coming sinner, that thou mightest in the end be saved.

COURTEOUS READER:

I have written to thee now about the barren fig tree, or how it will fare with the fruitless professor that standeth in the vineyard of God. Of what complexion thou art I cannot certainly divine, but the parable tells thee that the cumber-ground must be cut down.

A cumber-ground professor is not only a provocation to God, a stumbling-block to the world, and a blemish to religion, but a snare to his own soul also. "Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds, yet he shall perish for ever, like his own dung; they that have seen him shall say, Where is he?"

Now they count it pleasure to riot in the daytime. But what will they do when the axe is fetched out?

The tree whose fruit withereth is reckoned a tree without fruit, a tree twice dead, one that must be plucked up by the roots.

The Church and a profession are the best of places for the upright, but the worst in the world for the cumber-ground; he must be cast, as profane, out of the mount of God—cast, I say, over the wall of the vineyard, there to wither, thence to be gathered and burned. It had been better for them that they had not known the way of righteousness. And yet if they had not, they had been damned, but it is better to go to hell without than in or from under a profession. These shall receive greater damnation.

If thou be a professor, read and tremble; if thou be profane, do so likewise. "For if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinners appear?" Cumberground, take heed of the axe; barren fig tree, beware of the fire.

But I will keep thee no longer out of the book. Christ Jesus, the dresser of the vineyard, take care of thee, dig about thee, and

God will come seeking fruit shortly.

My exhortation therefore is to professors, that they look to it that they take heed.

The barren fig tree in the vineyard and the bramble in the wood are both prepared for the fire.

Profession is not a covert to hide from the eye of God, nor will it palliate the revengeful threatening of his justice; he will command to cut it down shortly.

when the Lord of the vineyard cometh with his axe to seek for fruit or pronounce the sentence of damnation on the barren fig tree, thou mayest escape that judgment. The cumberground must to the wood-pile, and thence to the fire. Farewell.

Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus in sincerity! Amen.

JOHN BUNYAN. 627

none.

Ar the beginning of this chapter we read how some of the Jews came to Jesus Christ to tell him of the cruelty of Pontius Pilate in mingling the blood of the Galileans with their sacrifices-an heathenish and prodigious act; for therein he showed not only his malice against the Jewish nation, but also against their worship, and consequently their God-an action, I say, not only heathenish, but prodigious also; for the Lord Jesus, paraphrasing upon this fact of his, teacheth the Jews that without repentance "they should all likewise perish"-likewise, that is, by the hand and rage of the Roman empire. Neither should they be more able to avoid the stroke than were those eighteen upon whom the tower of Siloam fell and slew them; the fulfilling of which prophecy, for their hardness of heart and impenitency, was in the days of Titus, son of Vespasian, about forty years after the death of Christ. Then, I say, were these Jews and their city both environed round on every side, wherein both they and it to amazement were miserably overthrown. God gave them sword and famine, pestilence and blood for their outrage against the Son of his love; so "wrath came on them to the uttermost."

Now to prevent their old and foolish salvo, which they always had in readiness against such prophecies and denunciations of judgment, the Lord Jesus presents them with this parable, in which he emphatically shows them that their cry of being the temple of the Lord, and of their being the children of Abraham, &c., and their being the Church of God, would not stand them in any stead. As who should say, It may be you think to help yourselves against this my prophecy of your utter and unavoidable overthrow by the interest which

you have in your outward privileges, but all these will fail you; for what think you, "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none." This is your case. The Jewish land is God's vineyard, I know it; and I know also that you are the fig trees. But behold, there wanteth the main thing, fruit, for the sake and in expectation of which he set this vineyard with trees. Now, seeing the fruit is not found amongst you the fruit, I say, for the sake of which he did at first plant this vineyard-what remains but that in justice he command to cut you down as those that cumber the ground, that he may plant himself another vineyard? "Then said he to the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none; cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?" This therefore must be your end. although you are planted in the garden of God; for the barrenness and unfruitfulness of your hearts and lives you must be cut off, yea, rooted up and cast out of the vineyard.

In parables there are two things to be taken notice of and to be inquired into of them that read:

First. The metaphors made use of. Secondly. The doctrine or mysteries couched under such metaphors.

The metaphors in this parable are-1. A certain man; 2. A vineyard; 3. A fig tree, barren or fruitless; 4. A dresser; 5. Three years; 6. Digging and dunging, &c.

The doctrine or mystery couched under these words is to show us what is like to become of a fruitless or formal professor, For

1. By the man in the parable (Luke xv. 11) is meant God the Father.

2. By the vineyard, (Isa. v. 7,) his Church. 3. By the fig tree, a professor.

4. By the dresser, the Lord Jesus.

5. By the fig tree's barrenness, the professor's fruitlessness.

6. By the three years, the patience of God that for a time he extendeth to barren professors.

7. This calling to the dresser of the vineyard to cut it down is to show the outcries of justice against fruitless professors.

8. The dresser's interceding is to show how the Lord Jesus steps in and takes hold of the head of his Father's axe, to stop, or at least to defer, present execution of a barren fig tree.

9. The dresser's desire to try to make the fig tree fruitful is to show you how unwilling he is that ever a barren fig tree should yet be barren and perish.

10. His digging about it and dunging of it is to show his willingness to apply gospel helps to this barren professor, if haply he may be fruitful.

11. The supposition that the fig tree may yet continue fruitless is to show that when Christ Jesus hath done all there are some professors will abide barren and fruitless.

12. The determination upon this supposition at last to cut it down is a certain prediction of such professors' unavoidable and eternal damnation.

But to take this parable into pieces and to discourse more particularly, though with all brevity, upon all the parts thereof.

A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard.

The man, I told you, is to represent to us God the Father, by which similitude he is often set out in the New Testament.

Observe, then, that it is no new thing if you find in God's Church barren fig trees, fruitless professors, even as here you see is a tree, a fruitless tree, a fruitless fig tree in the vineyard. Fruit is not so easily brought forth as a profession is got into; it is easy for a man to clothe himself with a fair show in the flesh, to word it, and say, Be thou warmed and filled with the best. It is no hard thing to do these with other things, but to be fruitful, to bring forth fruit to God, this doth not every tree, no not every fig tree that stands in the vineyard of God. Those words also, "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away," assert the same thing. There are branches in Christ, in Christ's body mystical, (which is his

Church, his vineyard,) that bear not fruit, wherefore the hand of God is to take them away. "I looked for grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes;" that is, no fruit at all that was acceptable with God. Again, "Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself," none to God; he is without fruit to God. All these, with many more, show us the truth of the observation, and that God's Church may be cumbered with fruitless fig trees, with barren professors.

Had a fig tree.

Although there be in God's Church that be barren and fruitless, yet, as I said, to look upon they are like the rest of the trees, even a fig tree: it was not an oak, nor a willow, nor a thorn, nor a bramble, but a fig tree. "They come before thee as thy people cometh;" "They delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness and forsook not the ordinances of their God; they ask of me the ordinances of justice, they take delight in approaching to God," and yet but barren, fruitless and unprofitable professors. Judas also was one of the twelve, a disciple, an apostle, a preacher, an officer, yea, and such a one as none of the eleven mistrusted, but preferred before themselves, each one crying out, "Is it I? Is it I?" None of them, as we read of, mistrusted Judas, yet he, in Christ's eye, was the barren fig tree, a devil, a fruitless professor. The foolish virgins also went forth of the world with the other, had lamps and light, and were awakened with the other; yea, had boldness to go forth, when the midnight cry was made, with the other, and thought that they could have looked Christ in the face when he sat upon the throne of judgment, with the other, and yet but foolish, but barren fig trees, but fruitless professors. "Many," saith Christ, "will say unto me in that day" this and that, and will also talk of many wonderful works; yet behold, he finds nothing in them but the fruits of unrighteousness: they were altogether barren and fruitless professors.

Had a fig tree planted.

This word planted doth also reach far; it supposeth one taken out of its natural soil, or removed from the place it grew once; one that seemed to be called, awakened, and not only so, but by strong hand carried from this world to the Church, from nature to grace, from sin to godliness. Ps. lxxx. 8. "Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt; thou hast cast out the

heathen, and planted it." Of some of the branches of this vine were there unfruitful professors.

It must be concluded, therefore, that this professor that remaineth, notwithstanding, fruitless, is, as to the view and judgment of the Church, rightly brought in thither-to wit, by confession of faith, of sin, and a show of repentance and regeneration: thus false brethren creep in unawares. All these things this word planteth intimateth; yea, further, that the Church is satisfied with them, consents they should abide in the garden, and counteth them sound as the rest; but before God, in the sight of God, they are graceless professors, barren and fruitless fig trees.

Therefore, it is one thing to be in the Church or in a profession, and another to be of the Church and to belong to that kingdom that is prepared for the saint that is so indeed. Otherwise, "being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither when the east wind toucheth it? It shall wither in the furrows where it grew."

Had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. In his vineyard. Hypocrites with rotten hearts are not afraid to come before God in Zion.

These words, therefore, suggest unto us a prodigious kind of boldness and hardened fearlessness; for what presumption higher and what attempt more desperate than for a man that wanteth grace and a true knowledge of God to crowd himself, in that condition, into the house or Church of God, or to make profession of and desire that the name of God should be called upon him?

For the man that maketh a profession of the religion of Jesus Christ, that man hath, as it were, put the name of God upon himself, and is called and reckoned now (how fruitless soever before God or men) the man that hath to do with God, the man that God owneth and will stand for. This man, I say, by his profession, suggesteth this to all that know him to be such a professor. Men merely natural-I mean, men that have not got the devilish art of hypocrisy―are afraid to think of doing thus: "And of the rest durst no man join himself to them, but the people magnified them." And indeed it displeaseth God: "They have brought," saith he, "men uncircumcised into my sanctuary." And again, (Isa. i. 12:) "When you come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?" saith God. They have

therefore learned this boldness of none in the visible world; they only took it of the devil, for he, and he only, with these his disciples, attempt to present themselves in the Church before God. "The tares are the children of the wicked one"-the tares, that is, the hypocrites, that are Satan's brood, the generation of vipers, that cannot escape the damnation of hell.

Had a fig tree planted in his vineyard.

He doth not say, He planted a fig tree, but there was a fig tree there; he had or found a fig tree planted in his vineyard.

The great God will not acknowledge the barren fig tree or barren professor to be his workmanship or a tree of his bringing in; only the text saith he had one there. This is much like that in Matt. xv. 13: "Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up." Here again are plants in his vineyard which God will not acknowledge to be of his planting; and he seems to sug gest that in his vineyard are many such. Every plant, or all those plants or professors that are got into the assembly of the saints or into the profession of their religion without God and his grace, "shall be rooted up."

"And when the King came in to see the guests, he saw there a man that had not on a wedding garment. And he said unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having on a wedding-garment?" Here is one so cunning and crafty that he beguiled all the guests: he got and kept in the Church, even until the King himself came in to see the guests. But his subtilty got him nothing: it did not blind the eyes of the King; it did not pervert the judgment of the righteous. "Friend, how camest thou in hither?" did overtake him at last, even a public rejection; the King discovered him in the face of all present. "How camest thou in hither?" My Father did not bring thee hither; I did not bring thee hither; my Spirit did not bring thee hither; thou art not of the heavenly Father's planting; "how camest thou in hither?" "He that cometh not in by the door, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." This text is full and plain also to our purpose, for this man came not in by the door, yet got into the Church; he got in by climbing; he broke in at the windows; he got something of the light and giory of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in his head, and so (hardy wretch